Why Some ‘Pokémon GO’ Players Report Improved Mental Health

July 19, 2016 • By GoodTherapy.org Staff

Almost as soon Pokémon GO was released, anecdotal reports from gamers claiming the game was helping to relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns began to pop up all over social media. According to the various tweets and posts that have since been circulating in news stories, many users have discovered newfound motivation to get outside, exercise, and make some new friends.

Pokémon GO, an app that uses a smartphone’s GPS and camera to place the user in an augmented reality adventure, may help improve the symptoms of some mental health conditions, but the science behind why is not nearly as new as the game. Researchers have long known that many aspects of Pokémon GO—exercise, social interaction, spending time outside, and even the act of gaming—can help facilitate better mental health. Pokémon GO puts a new spin on these powerful self-care activities by making them fun and perhaps even generating a sense of nostalgia, but there are a number of reasons why this game might help improve mental health for some.

Therapeutic Value of Exercise

According to the American Psychological Association, exercise can drastically affect mood, and the mental health benefits of exercise are often more than short term. Researchers at Duke University, for example, gathered epidemiological data that found active people generally experience depression at lower rates than those who don’t exercise.

In addition to helping those experiencing depression, exercise may also be useful for not only treating symptoms of anxiety, but also preventing it. Researchers at the Anxiety Research and Treatment Program at Southern Methodist University suggest because exercise triggers many of the same physiological responses as the body’s fight or flight reaction, those who regularly exercise can build resilience toward panic and anxiety responses. A study performed at the university in 2008 showed that participants who experienced heightened anxiety saw significant improvement in symptoms after completing a two-week exercise program.

Available research appears to indicate Pokémon GO players might not only be reducing the severity of some symptoms of mental health conditions, but they may also be building future resilience if they’re hunting Pokémon regularly.

Therapeutic Value of Social Interaction

In the creature-hunting augmented reality of Pokémon GO, players drop lures to attract the wild Pokémon they’re trying to catch. This practice, in addition to visiting many points of interest created within the virtual world of the game, has caused some players to run into each other in the real world. These social interactions, centered around a shared interest of catching rare Pokémon, may be contributing to the anecdotal evidence that suggests playing the game can reduce symptoms of mental health conditions.

A study published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology found those who experience depression may be more sensitive to both positive and negative social interactions. Positive interactions, according to the study’s authors, contribute to an individual’s sense of belonging, which is something many who experience depression report having difficulty with. As a result, Pokémon GO players who might have avoided social interactions in the past due to a fear of rejection may now be discovering a newfound or renewed sense of community among fellow Pokémon hunters.

Therapeutic Value of Going Outside

Some Pokémon players have been tweeting and posting that the game is the first thing in a long time that’s made Researchers have long known that many aspects of Pokémon GO—exercise, social interaction, spending time outside, and even the act of gaming—can help facilitate better mental health.them enjoy spending time out of the house. A Stanford-led study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science found people who spent about an hour and a half in nature showed less depression-associated activity in the brain. In another Stanford-led study, researchers concluded time spent in nature has a positive effect on mood, cognitive functioning, memory, and that time in nature also reduces symptoms of anxiety.

Pokémon hunters are searching for creatures in both natural and urban areas, and the time they spend outside may indicate why so many players are self-reporting the game helps with their anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.

Therapeutic Value of Playing Video Games

Collectively, about one-seventh of the people on the planet spend an hour each day playing video games. Strong opinions exist on both sides about how helpful those games can be for a person’s mental health, but some research indicates playing games may counteract much of the negative brain activity associated with depression.

According to Jane McGonigal, a renowned game designer, author, TEDx speaker, and advocate for the positive effects of video games, brain scans on people playing video games show the most active parts while playing are those associated with reward, motivation, goal orientation, learning, and memory. High activity in these parts of the brain is almost the neurological opposite of what happens in the brain when someone experiences depression. Pokémon hunters who feel less depressed or less anxious after playing may be reaping some of the benefits pointed out by McGonigal.

Is ‘Pokémon GO’ Better Than Therapy?

Although the game has reportedly helped relieve the severity of anxiety, depression, and symptoms of other mental health conditions for many players, it shouldn’t be considered a substitute for real-world psychotherapy.

“Indeed, there may be some physical and mental health benefits to playing Pokémon GO, but at the risk of sounding like the proverbial old man complaining about the kids these days, I think there are some serious mental health implications for our culture at large that won’t be addressed by simply playing a game,” said Noah Rubinstein, LMFT, LMHC, the founder and CEO of GoodTherapy.org. “One of the most important outcomes of therapy is learning to feel good, regardless of conditions.”

Pokémon GO, however, can be a fun and effective self-care activity that offers a wide range of mental health benefits: those resulting from exercise, meeting new people or interacting with friends who play, spending time outside, and activating the parts of the brain essential to healthy cognitive functioning.

References:

Berenson, T. (2015, September 26). Why playing video games can actually be good for your health. Retrieved from http://time.com/4051113/why-playing-video-games-can-actually-be-good-for-your-health

Francisco, E. (2016, July 8). Complete strangers are meeting by the dozes because of ‘Pokémon GO’. Inverse. Retrieved from https://www.inverse.com/article/18049-pokemon-go-is-creating-real-life-friendships

Shapiro, J. (2013, November 27). 4 reasons video games are good for your health (according to the American Psychological Association). Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jordanshapiro/2013/11/27/4-reasons-video-games-are-good-for-your-health-according-to-american-psychological-association/#2072d654336a

The preceding article was solely written by the author named above. Any views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the preceding article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment below.

Julia

July 19th, 2016 at
7:10 AM

My kids and I love the app! It gives us a chance to do something together and gets us out of the house too. For free! What parent isn’t looking for something like this to do over the summer? I mean, it’s fun and totally relateable to the kids, so I am not sure why there has been so many grievances about it honestly.

ellis

Susanne

July 20th, 2016 at
6:56 AM

Then there are the people taking all the fun out of the game by actually shooting at people who would dare wander on their property playing the game. People, don’t be so trigger happy. Let them go out and have a little fun. I don’t think that everyone who walks down the street or through your yard means to do you harm. Let them play the game and have some fun with it, especially if we are talking about younger children here.

Blake

wanda

July 21st, 2016 at
7:10 AM

Totally agree with Blake! My kids and I , and some from around the neighborhood, have a had a great time with it this summer. I think that this will go down as one of the highlights of this summer vacation for sure.

Farrah

July 21st, 2016 at
3:18 PM

Ok so I am the negative nelly here. Go behind some kids at the mall today and we were all walking around just fine until they decided that they had to stop right then and there in the middle of pedestrian traffic to get a pokemon. Are you kidding me? The rest of us walking along practically plowed into them because they had no respect for the people around them sharing their space. I thought it was quite rude.

Tina M

July 23rd, 2016 at
9:09 AM

My one hope with this is that this will not stop with only this app. Because eventually the app is going to get old and people will get tired of playing it. What will people do then when this is no longer an option? Or I guess it will still be an option for them but what if they get bored with it? I just hope that this will be able to extend into other venues for them, that’s all.

Miriam

July 25th, 2016 at
5:13 PM

This is an outlet for those who may not have a way to interact with other people or even a reason to leave the home other than this. If this is what will encourage them to get more involved with other people or to leave the house and get some fresh air, than I say have at it.

I get it that this is not everyone’s cup of tea. To each his own right? But I think that there are people who are experiencing numerous benefits from getting involved with this game and as along as it doe not keep them from their other responsibilities and obligations then I see nothing wrong with it.

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